Kathmandu, Dec.5: The Secretary General of SAARC Ambassador Golam Sarwar has participated in a roundtable discussion organized on December 3 by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).

The discussion was based on the theme, “SAARC Nearing 50: Challenges and Way Forward,” on December 4.

Addressing the program, Secretary General Sarwar highlighted the achievements SAARC made in the past 40 years focusing on building the solid institutional foundation and norm setting as well as executing project-based initiatives in priority areas of regional cooperation.

According to the press release SAARC Secretariat, Sarwar said that SAARC was born with the vision to promote welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region; to foster and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; and to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of each other problems.

The responsibility to translate the great vision of SAARC’s founding Leaders into reality falls now on our generation and the succeeding generations in the region, he added.

Ambassador Sarwar said that even in the absence of high level meetings in the past few years, SAARC in collaboration with its external partners like Asian Development Bank is undertaking impactful activities in the areas of climate change, sustainable development, regional integration, and custom cooperation, among others, read press release.

Responding to questions from the distinguished participants in the roundtable, Ambassador Sarwar stated that revitalizing SAARC with convening of higher level meetings is in the interest of the entire region and to that end, further diplomatic efforts should continue.